MONOCTENIADAE 251 



Tliis is doubtless to be regarded as a decaying family ; in 

 Australia it is still prominent, nearly 100 species being already 

 known, and it is represented to a certain extent in the Indo- 

 Malayan region, but elsewhere only a few stragglers are to be 

 fountl ; it has presumably been supplanted by its descendants. 

 The British forms give no idea of the scope of the family, 

 which is considerable. Imago with body slender, forewings 

 moderately broad or rather elongate, triangular. 



Ovum subcylindrical, smooth. Larva more or less elongate, 

 usually with few hairs, prolegs on 7, 8, and sometimes 9 

 rudimentary or absent. Pupa subterranean or in bark. 

 Erannis and Brejihos are rather nearly allied, but otherwise 

 the genera are too disconnected to be imderstood except 

 through an acquaintance with exotic forms. 



Tabulation of Genera. 



1. Forewings with vein 10 out of 9 or absent . 2. 



,, ,, ,, present, not out of 9 . 3. 



2. Face and palpi roughly hairy . 4. Brephos. 



,, ,, smooth-scaled . 2. Aplasta. 



'6. Tongue obsolete . . . .3. Erannis. 



,, well-developed . . .1. Baptria. 



1. Baptria, Hb. 



Face with projecting scales. Tongue developed. Antennae 

 in (J evenly ciliated. Palpi moderate, rough -scaled. Thorax 

 hairy beneath. Femora glabrous. Forewings: 10 out of 11, 

 anastomosing with 9. Hindwings : 6 and 7 stalked, 8 closely 

 approximated to cell to near angle, in 9 sometimes shortly 

 anastomosing near base. 



The single species occurs almost throughout Europe. 



B. atrata, L. {chaerophyUata, L.) 23-26 mm. Wholly 

 blackish ; apical cilia of forewings white. 



Britain to Caledonian Canal, Ireland, locally plentiful ; 

 Europe and Asia Minor, N. Asia ; 6, 7. Larva green, paler 

 laterally ; dorsal line darker, on 13 dark i-ed, broader ; sub- 

 dorsal darker, whitish -edged ; subspii-acular whitish ; spiracles 

 red : on flowers of Conojjodium denudatuyn ; 5, 6. 



2. Aplasta, Hh. 



Face with appressed scales. Tongue developed. Antennae 

 in S ciliated. Palpi with appressed scales. Thorax glabrous 

 beneath. Femora glabrous. Forewings: 10 absent, 11 anasto- 



